Scientists Discover Bizarre 'Devil Flower' in Thailand

Scientists have discovered a bizarre black 'devil flower' in Thailand that lives mostly underground, steals nutrients from fungi, and looks strikingly unlike a typical plant. The newly named Thismia daemona is known from fewer than 50 individuals and may already be critically endangered. Scientists have identified a remarkable new species of leafless flowering plant growing on the forest floor of a national park in western Thailand.

Its unusual, almost supernatural appearance inspired its name: Thismia daemona, the 'devil flower. The plant belongs to Thismia, a genus of tiny species sometimes known as 'fairy lanterns. These plants lack chlorophyll and do not carry out photosynthesis.

Instead, they obtain nutrients through underground fungi and remain concealed beneath layers of leaf litter for nearly their entire lives. Botanists from Chulalongkorn University and Prince of Songkla University discovered the new species while surveying Thong Pha Phum National Park. The plant was growing at an elevation of nearly 1,000 meters, an unusually high and seasonally dry environment for members of the genus.